Touch FM (Burton, Lichfield and Tamworth)
| City | Tamworth |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | South East Staffordshire |
| Frequency | 101.6 & 102.4 FM |
| First air date | 6 June 1998 |
| Format | Contemporary |
| Owner | Quidem Ltd |
| Website | http://www.101touchfm.co.uk/ |
Touch FM is an independent local radio station broadcasting to Burton, Lichfield, Tamworth and South Derbyshire, England. It broadcasts on 101.6 and 102.4 FM, and online through its website. The station used to be known as Centre FM.
Centre FM was created as the result of work by the Tamworth Community Radio Association. It was formed in 1993 with the purpose of developing a community radio station for the town and its surrounding areas. In 1996, TCRA, with a group of local businessmen and radio presenters, formed Centre Broadcasting Ltd to apply for the commercial broadcasting licence for South East Staffordshire. In addition to this, there was another rival bid from Burton-based Tower FM, who also did reading books for the blind. Considering there was interest in Burton and Swadlincote and Tamworth and Lichfield, both areas were merged by the Radio Authority.
Centre FM launched on 6 June 1998, from studios at 5-6 Aldergate, Tamworth. Upon its launch, The board consisted of Ric Simon of TCRA, local business leader Keith Hayes, representatives of Central Independent Newspapers, and ITV Central news anchorman Bob Warman. At one point, Capital Radio held shares in the station, selling them, along with those of Stratford-upon-Avon based The Bear, on 11 April 2001.
In April 2002, it was acquired by The CN Group, which, on 29 April 2006, re-branded the station as Touch FM.
The original line-up in 1998 was Sean Goldsmith at breakfast, Mike Vitti on mid-mornings, Hayley Chapman on afternoons and Antony Masters in the evening, with Mike Thomas as news editor. The strapline was 'One Great Song After Another'. Apart from Vitti, the original line-up had left by the end of 2000. Sean Goldsmith left for Hallam FM and Mike Thomas left in 2001 for the launch of Saga 105.7 FM in Birmingham, but returned to the station between 2005 and 2007. No overnight presenters were employed, instead non-stop music was played straight from a computer.
...
Wikipedia